Bibles For The World joins with millions to mourn the passing of Rev. Billy Graham. BFTW founder Dr. Rochunga Pudaite met Rev. Graham in Glasgow in 1955 where the evangelist was preparing to hold crusades. “Ro” was a young student at the Bible Training Institute in Glasgow and had volunteered to help promote the upcoming crusade by the American evangelist. Ro was surprised to receive phone call inviting him to meet Graham at his hotel.

“I’ve heard reports from various prayer groups that your whole tribe back in India is praying for our crusade in Scotland,” said Graham.

“It is true,” Ro replied. “My father has organized all-night prayer meetings and a chain of prayer from one village to another.”

“And is it true that your father walked over a hundred miles to read a Bible after he was converted?”

Ro was amazed at just how much was known about him and his people. He responded to Graham’s question with more of the story of his father’s conversion, the results of a lone missionary introducing him to a Gospel of John. Ro spoke of his fathers’s efforts to evangelize his tribe of headhunters and of his own quest to translate the Bible into his native Hmar language.

Impressed with Ro’s enthusiasm for translating the Scriptures, Graham offered to sponsor the young man from India to pursue graduate studies at Wheaton College in Illinois. Accepting the generous offer, Ro was able to enroll at Wheaton in the fall of 1955. The “rest of the story” is available in Fire on the Hills – The Rochunga Pudaite Story a biography by Joe Musser and Marti Hefley.

John Pudaite, Franklin Graham and Rochunga Pudaite

The relationship between the Graham family and the Pudaite family extended to the next generation, as well. Ro’s son, John, and Billy’s son Franklin, were acquaintances. Both sons eventually played significant roles in their fathers’ ministries with Franklin Graham eventually taking over the leadership of Samaritan’s Purse and John Pudaite’s appointment as president and CEO of Bibles For The World.

Until his death in 2015, Ro never forgot Billy Graham’s kindness and attributed much of his early ministry success to the example of the evangelist. What a tremendous impact Billy Graham made for God’s Kingdom in countless millions of lives that he influenced through his tireless work proclaiming the Gospel!

Bibles For The World launches new initiative to promote Bible knowledge.

“People who READ the Bible have a greater appreciation of the power of God’s Word to transform lives overseas,” says John Pudaite, president of Bibles For The World. While the ministry focuses the vast majority of its activity across regions of the world where God’s Word is scarce, Pudaite is concerned about the growing level of Bible illiteracy in the United States.

“Because of our focus on the power of God’s Word to transform lives we have a unique opportunity to help foster a new appreciation for the Bible — and to enlist more people in making God’s Word known to unreached peoples.”

Dr. Shane Houle, author of Learn the Bible in a Year

Bibles For The World is introducing a new book — Learn the Bible in a YEAR — to encourage people across the USA with the message that God’s Word transforms lives. It’s a collaboration with the book’s author, Dr. Shane W. Houle, whose desire it is that everyone, everywhere should be able to read and understand the most important book ever published.

“When Philip met the Ethiopian gentleman riding in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah, he asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’” notes Houle. “‘How can I,’ the man answered, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ That’s the premise for this book. I wanted people to be able to easily understand God’s story from beginning to end. And I’m delighted that Bibles For The World wants to make the book available to people, not only in the USA, but also in translations around the globe!”

‘We’ve actually launched a series of radio programs based upon the book,” Pudaite notes. “A new program each day for 365 days walks listeners through the Bible and offers the book to those willing to help provide God’s Word around the world. This is not just another Bible reading plan…rather it is a Bible learning plan.” The daily 2-minute radio programs are currently airing on stations across the country and highlight a lesson from Scripture for each day. You can listen to a sample by clicking here:

As a way for people to see how Learn the Bible in a YEAR can improve Bible knowledge, Bibles For The World is offering a free sampling of the first 30 lessons. You can learn more here about this unique program:

Response to the need for “gifts of light” in India was overwhelming… Partner parents and other donors understood the need for solar lanterns to help students in India have light at night for study. The accompanying photos demonstrate what a difference these simple solar lamps are making already for
the thousands of students enrolled in Bibles For The World’s 30+ Christian schools across northeast India.

THANK YOU to all who participated in this special campaign to provide these most practical Christmas gifts to children and their families. Also receiving the special gifts were all school staff and administrators, students and staff at Trinity College & Seminary, and the staff at Sielmat Christian Hospital.